Most of the viewers are aware that Wildlife week is celebrated through out the country with a view to protect and preserve the fauna of India. It was started in the year 1952 with a vision to save the animals by taking some vital steps. It is celebrated from 1st Oct to 7th Oct to make people aware of the Indian Wildlife and why should we conserve it. The purpose of establishing wildlife parks and the sanctuaries is to protect and conserve the fauna and flora of the country.

Every year wildlife Organisations, Forest departments, Government agencies , Educational institutions celebrate the week through activities such as talks , seminars, exhibitions, walks connected to wildlife. The objective is to sensitise people to appreciate it and work towards the conservation of wildlife .

It was in the year 2004 I was attracted by the wilderness of our country and was amazed to see its uniqueness. It started from the well known park Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh in 2004 and from June of the same year my family members are with me in my mission.

Our first encounter was a very rare phenomenon in the wild at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve where we found a langur monkey having water in the normal way and the adjoining langur drinking water like a human being. It was like a great evolution taking place in front of my eyes. This was in the year 2011.

In 2011 December we again witnessed another wonder in Dudhwa National Park wherein a Crested Serpent Eagle was feeding on a Burmese Python on the branch of a tree. Wildlife community says that this is the first record in the world. In December 2017 the behaviour got recorded in American Scientific Journal.

In November 2014 we were fortunate to record yet another unique behaviour in Sariska Tiger Reserve in the State of Rajasthan where in addition to the fawn having milk from the mother Sambar, the male too is trying to suck milk from the backside. Dr K Shankar,Senior Professor, who was earlier with the Wildlife Institute Of India at Dehradun and worked at Sariska Tiger Reserve for more than 25 years ,opined that this behaviour is unbelievable. The credit for this image goes to my life partner who has merged with nature recently as she drew my attention to the female sambar.

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve has always surprised us and blessed family of ours from time to time. On 28th February 2015 it blessed us with a great photograph and a large number of nature lovers opined that we were fortunate to record in camera.

While observing courtship of Indian Grey Hornbill on 20th of March 2016 i was surprised to observe a female mounting over the male and mating lasted for about 45 seconds. This unique and unusual mating behaviour recorded by anybody in the world, was published by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in their magazine Newsletter for Birdwatchers. Again credit goes to Mrs Goel as she allowed me to go in spite of her ill health.

These are most unique images which have been recorded for the first time by a family like you who started as a tourister but became a hard core nature and wild lifer lover as per God’s Design.

In am reminded of a beautiful song by Mohammed Rafi from film MELA — YE ZINDGI KE MELE DUNIYA ME KAM NA HONGE — AFSOS HUM NA HONGE (My life partner Sangeeta Goel left me on 3rd August 2018 and merged with Nature)

Images from the wilderness of India recorded from the year 2011 to 2016 (Dudhwa, Tadoba, Sariska and Delhi).

About Vinod Goel

He joined Customs & Central Excise service in 1982. As a civil servant, his job takes him to various parts of India, which gave him an opportunity to capture our wild heritage, through his camera. His passion for wildlife photography started in 2004 when he was posted at Raipur (Chhattisgarh) and this passion continues till today.